Live To Fight Another Day
by whovianstudent
Summary: The story of how Holy Rome messed up the time stream. Amnesia and sci-fi weirdness ensue. Trust me, much better than it sounds.**Note: follows the theory that Germany is HRE**
1. The Last Lost Battle

**First fanfic ever! Sorry this chapter's super short…it's late. Please review. Even if you totally hate it. Alright. 10-4. **

Chapter 1

Italy hummed something he couldn't quite remember the words to as he swept along the cobblestone. He was daydreaming, again, this time about Holy Rome. The small boy sighed and fiddled with his dress. His first kiss had been with the blond Germanic nation and Italy dreamed of him coming home someday. Mr. Austria and Ms. Hungary had murmured about wars and rumors of wars when they thought Italy was asleep. Italy shook his head slightly and smoothed his apron with tiny hands. He shuffled onwards, broom in hand.

Meanwhile on the battlefront…

Holy Rome was dizzy with the smell of blood and something like hysteria. He was being pushed… pushed so painfully back. The ground around him was stained red and metal continued to clash. He set his jaw and, blue eyes blazing, set back into the fight. The blond boy suddenly doubled over, wounded by something that made him throb with pain. He shuddered and slowly fell. "Ita…Italia…" he murmured as he sank into a dreamless sleep.

A tall pale nation looked over the unconscious country with wide red eyes. He gently picked up the small boy and, stunned into silence (for once), began to walk towards the hospital.

Several hours later, they arrived at St. Mary's Hospital of Nations. He gently took the limp boy off the stolen horse and carried him into the hospital. After checking in, he sent a messenger to a certain Brit. Now all he could do was wait.

England frowned, his thick eyebrows knitting together. Sure, the nations all called on him for spells and that sort of thing, but using _blackmail_? It must be urgent. The Brit quickly told his stable hand to bring a horse. This was a matter of the time stream, and it could blow a hole in the universe the size of... well, Belgium. This was most definitely very, very serious.

**So...good? Bad? Fantastic? Reviewing is good for the soul. Sorry if the plot seems weird and complicated. It will soon come together. If anyone can name the Doctor Who reference, you get vital regions. 3 3 3**


	2. St Mary's Hospital of Nations

**Holy Rome's Point of View (post amnesia)**

My eyes fluttered open. There was a sharp something in my side and a sort of clawing emptiness in my head and my stomach. I tried to sit up, but my head swirled. I reluctantly sank back into a clean, white bed.

I was in a bed. That was odd...

The last thing I remember... What was the last thing... Who was I?

A man slowly stepped into my line of vision. He smiled gently.

"I'm Finland, but you can call me Tino. I'll be taking care of you during your stay here."

Finland? What? Suddenly, the white of the room was too bright. I closed my eyes and sighed miserably.

The nurse gave a sympathetic, motherly sort of croon and smoothed the pillow. I drifted somewhere else, away from the white.

Another man had come to see me. He was pale, with pretty sapphire eyes and silvery hair. He fiddled with a cross-like clip in his hair. "I'm Norway. But people commonly call me Lukas." I nodded to show that I recognized his presence.

Lukas asked me several questions about who I was, but I couldn't remember. It was like trying to juggle wet soap. He sighed and restrained the urge to roll his eyes. He slowly shook his head as he clicked out of the room in his tall boots.

**Third Person**

In the lobby, Prussia was talking in an unusually serious way with a certain Brit. "I feel like I'm going crazy. The man all the sudden appeared. Well, not really the man, but a large blue box. He stepped out and asked me how the battle was going. I explained how _mein bruder_ had barely survived and he acted as if there was a yaoi-crazed fangirl behind me! He said something about a messed up timeline. What do I do?"

England nodded. "I've met the man before. He's called the Doctor, and he knows what he's talking about. A messed up timeline... What did he say about it?"

Prussia explained quickly that The Doctor had paled when he heard that the fledgling nation of Germany had died. England nodded his head slowly. "I think I can resolve this. However, it will take some black magic. And, I believe, you will have to hand over those photographs you sent me copies of?"

Prussia nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Good." England spun on his heel and walked out of the hospital.

**Yay for new chapter! *shameless self-promotion warning* I have a tumblr, for any whotalians out there. whotalinun . tumblr . com without the spaces, obviously. Reviews are loved, but flames will be used to toast marshmallows. HOORAY FOR SMORES. ALSO, JUST SO NO ONE SUES ME, I OWN AND REGRET NOTHING. Jammy Dodgers and vital regions for all good reviewers! **

**KM**


	3. Vanishing Memories

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland cleared his throat quietly. He looked out at all the countries here at the Emergency World Meeting.

"As you all are well aware, the nation of Germany is dead." (A few countries nodded.)

"But what you do not know is that he was not supposed to die. In our future time stream, the Holy Roman Empire was supposed to die. I have resolved this and Holy Rome now believes he is Germany. But I must force you all to sign a pledge of secrecy."

"If Holy Rome ever figures out his true identity, all of history will happen at once. I have given the countries that knew him best (excepting Prussia) selective amnesia. Yes, it took black magic. Any questions?"

Silence echoed in the cathedral-like hall. No one moved a muscle. America, still a young nation, raised his hand silently. Everyone stared.

"So, um, Britain? Why didn't Prussia get selective-amwhateverized?" The Brit glared at him. "He pleaded with me not to. He didn't want to forget his _little brother_. Any vaguely INTELLIGENT questions?" America winced. No one else spoke up, so England dismissed them all.

England sighed. He really didn't want to do this. His hypnotizing skills were rusty. Italy looked so cute, as always. Worriedly twisting his little dress about. England took an elaborate pocket watch out of his pocket and began to swing it.

**A few minutes later**

_Italy...you must never EVER show this paintbrush to ANYONE. Especially Germany. _

"Especially Germany..." murmured the small country.

_You must hide it from him forever._

England counted up to 25 and snapped. Italy's amber eyes shot open. He sank down onto the couch slowly. "Signor England? What was that?" England sighed. What would he tell Veneziano? That he had transferred all of "Germany's" memories as Holy Rome into a paintbrush using Time Lord technology? That if "Germany" touched it all of history would happen at once?

"Nothing, Italy."

**I really never planned on a hypnotization. It just sort of came into the story. Any questions, comments, or reviews would be loved and fed with pasta. Flames will be used to cook it.**

**Sunflowers and Sonic Screwdrivers,**

**KM**


	4. Time Collapse

*Present Day

"So, you're moving, Germany?" The blond nation nodded and began taking inventory of the assorted boxes around the room. Italy tilted his head to the side and sat on one of the boxes, which promptly collapsed.

Germany sighed. "You are very lucky that box didn't have anything in it." He returned his attention to the clipboard. Soon Italy grew bored and wandered into the kitchen. The clock read 4:58. He realized that Germany had already packed up the kitchen stuff.

As he poked around in the cabinets absentmindedly, he noticed a tiny, ornate box with a tiny writing on it. If he had taken the time to examine the writing, he would have noticed the word Pandora. 5:00. He opened the box and found a paintbrush. Italy picked it up, as if in a trance.

At 5:01, Germany arrived in the kitchen. "What's this, Italy?" Italy's heart seized up. "NOTHING!" he screamed. Germany calmly pinned Italy's hands behind his back. "A paintbrush?" At exactly 5:02, Germany touched a rip in the fabric of time and space.

At 5:02, on November 13, 2011, all of reality happened at once.

TIME LAPSE 5:02, November 13, 2011, All of Space

The Persian Empire sat near a young Australia, throwing bits of bread at the pterodactyls, clearly ignoring the nearby sign. They gossiped about Charles Dickens' new Christmas special, King Arthur's terrible Prussian regime, and anything else that came to mind. Persia wiped his eyes after a particularly good laugh.

"Say, Australia? What time is it?" The small nation checked his koala watch. "5:02, mate." Persia frowned. "It's always 5:02. Why is that?" Australia shrugged, displacing his koala. "I don't know, mate. That's just the way it is."

BREAK

Italy winced as he got up from the hovering bench. He wasn't getting any younger, but he wasn't getting older, either. He hobbled to the curb and waited for a steam-taxi. A blue envelope had arrived at his door to meet someone in the back room of a Marco Polo's Exotics at the corner of Broadway and Abbey Road.

BREAK

Italy winced again and ran a hand through his greying hair. He had never seen the Doctor so angry. He wasn't yelling, but projecting an aura of anger that could have blown a hole in the roof.

"I'm going to...evidently, England's hypnotism didn't do the job. Why did you not hide it in a better place? Throw it in a well? Agh. Now reality is collapsing." The Doctor paused and shoved his hands his pants' pockets. "I'm sorry, Italy. It's not all your fault. Two different events just are happening in the same time slot, and that's the cause of all the trouble." Italy sighed.

"So what are we going to do about it?"

The Doctor was suddenly afraid, for a very unfamiliar feeling had come upon him.

He had no idea.

Ooh! Cliffhangerish! Yeah. Sooooo much adapted from Doctor Who here. The only reason I didn't make this a crossover is because they don't get much love :(. There ought to be a crossover awareness day. Oi. Reviewers are given virtual hugs. Flames are sad. Yes, this is really weird. So was the beginning bit of the story too.


	5. Decisions

The Doctor stared painfully at Italy. He knew what he had to do. The Time Lord stifled a sob. Since Italy and Germany were the points of incidence, they would have to be erased from time and space. The countries of North Italy and Germany would have never existed. The Doctor knew that Prussia and South Italy would take over the territories.

But destroying a country was easier said than done. It was time for a meeting.

BREAK

The Doctor was scary when he was formal. He had even worn the outfit last worn on the day of Amy and Rory's wedding. He looked down at the thin piece of parchment held in his white kid gloves.

"Italy Veneziano?" The old country looked up with sad, golden eyes. "Present." The Doctor crisply turned on his heel. "Italy Romano?"

Due to the Great Time Collapse (as it came to be known), Romano was still young and in dresses. He scowled and bit into a tomato. "Here."

"The Prussian Empire?" Prussia sighed and slumped forward, an odd, defeated pose for the formerly mighty empire.

Germany turned to the Doctor (looking surprisingly normal). "We are all present, Doctor. Vhat we want to know is why vhe are here."

The Doctor stiffened. He really hadn't wanted it to come to this.

"Germany and Italy." Germany helped a slightly unsteady Italy to his feet and handed him his cane.

"You two are the cracks in time. This should have never happened, and now reality is winding down and will, for lack of a better word, explode unless you are..." he trailed off sadly. "Erased."

Prussia shot up. "Erased? What in the name of all that is holy is that supposed to mean?" Romano's lip quivered slightly.

The Doctor let 907 years of pain out through a sigh. "They will have never existed. No one will remember them."

Romano stood on his chair and glared fiercely at The Doctor. "HE'S MY LITTLE BROTHER! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!" Prussia made a snorting sort of melancholy noise.

"My sentiments exactly." The Doctor saw no use in arguing. "It's the only way."

Prussia suddenly was the most frightening thing anyone in the room had seen. "Doctor. I know you know how it feels to be the last of your kind. I don't give a damn if it's the only way. YOU. WILL. NOT. ERASE. MY. BROTHER. Or I will rip both hearts out of your chest and feed them to the pterodactyls in the park." His red eyes flashed with the intensity an exploding Gallifrey.

Pretty damn intense.

And then the Doctor was crying, almost screaming. "But you have to! This would save all of reality! Is your brother more important than all the lives that ever lived? All the lives that ever will live? You wouldn't even remember him!"

The hall filled with _silence_ and racking sobs.

**Alright. Short, I know. But here is the first Old!Italy I've ever seen. I like writing for him. I think it's like post-HetaOni without the recent psycho-crazy-trauma-ness. Wait. HetaOni=aliens+time travel. Hmmmm... Sounds familiar. Wow. Deja vu. The last line made me laugh, cause you know...Silence...what? That was weird... Love love love for reviewers. **


	6. The Last Days

**WARNING WARNING CHARACTER ERASURE FROM TIME AND SPACE AND PRE-DEATH FLUFF WARNING WARNING**

The Doctor hadn't cried in a long time. Prussia's red eyes were wide at the amount of tears that ended up burning through the floor (Time Lord tears contain emotions, and anger can burn through floors).

The Doctor looked at the albino nation with grim, slightly crazy, almost jealous eyes. "You...are being more selfish than...anyone...I've ever...met. I know how this feels, you know. I had to sacrifice MY WHOLE BLEEDING RACE AND MY HOME and you can't even... even..." The Doctor sank back, looking very, very out of sorts.

Prussia stood stiffly and looked him in the eye. "It's not my right to sacrifice my brother. But if he chooses to...there's nothing that I can do to stop him." He slowly sank back in defeat.

All was absolutely quiet.

BREAK

The Doctor, Prussia, and Romano were standing at one end of the white room, Germany and Italy at the other.

Italy and Germany stood next to each other, facing the single, long crack in the wall. The Doctor had told them that is was no ordinary crack, but a rip in the fabric of time and space itself.

That they had caused.

A pulling started. A sort of rushing wind.

"I'm so sorry for all those times! When I cried during training or when I couldn't tie my shoelaces or when I messed up your pretty kitchen and-"

Germany kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Italy. Ich liebe dich."

Italy sobbed as the wind grew stronger, whipping his auburn hair in front of his face. "Te amo, te amo Germany!"

The wind seemed to spin faster and faster, and then there was a light. A liquid, golden light- almost tendril-like- reaching out towards them. Romano was crying hysterically, but seemingly rooted to the spot.

"BROTHER!" screamed Prussia, trying to run forward. The Doctor summoned all his strength and held the ex-nation back. "DO NOT GO INTO THE LIGHT!" he roared above the rushing wind.

As the two countries clung to each other, the light grew too strong for anyone to see.

BREAK

Prussia woke up in a sweat. (_author's note: No, it's not a dream. He was returned here by The Doctor since he passed out from exposure to the light. I am not using the "and it was all a dream" plot_.)

"Damnit! Stupid World Meeting..." He rushed around the room, pulling his clothes on.

BREAK

Italy growled at Spain and Austria. "Don't be so damn romantic, bastards! It's inappropriate."

Spain kissed Austria on a very red cheek and chuckled.

BREAK

Epilogue

After Germany and Italy were erased, Prussia took over his brother's lands, and Romano took all of Italy.

Sometimes the two nations remember. Well, I suppose "remember" wouldn't be quite the right word.

Perhaps "teetering on the brink of remembering" would be a better way to describe it.

A sort of wobbling, hazy memory that bordered on imagination.

Italy (Romano took the name) remembers a vague face like his own, but much more cheerful

Prussia remembers pretty blue eyes, and yelling.

The Doctor remembers all of it.

He always does.

**AAAAAAAGGGGH SAD CHARACTER DEATH IS SAD. Sigh. So yeah, in my alternate history sans Germany and Italy, Romano is Italy (confusing, but true) and Prussia takes his brother's lands. Also, Spain and Austria are married. I don't ship them, but they raised the respective halves of Italy, so, yeah. I had to kill them off (sort of), because there's no other way to resolve the story, unless all of time blows up. If anyone gives me an idea, I'll post an alternate ending as a separate chapter. Reviews are still loved...**

**KM**


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